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THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LAGERLOF

THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LAGERLOF. PREPARED BY LAPITA DAS. THEME. The story upholds the belief that the essential goodness of a human being can be awakened through love and understanding.

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THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LAGERLOF

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  1. THE RATTRAPBY SELMA LAGERLOF PREPARED BY LAPITA DAS

  2. THEME • The story upholds the belief that the essential goodness of a human being can be awakened through love and understanding. • It brings into focus the idea that the world is a rattrap. Riches, joys, shelter and food are all lucrative baits to trap mankind.

  3. TITLE • ‘The Rattrap’ is a metaphor to highlight the human predicament. Just as a rat is fooled by a bait and gets trapped, most human beings are likely to fall into the trap of material benefits.

  4. SYNOPSIS • The story begins like a fairytale. The central character is a beggar and a petty thief who goes about selling rattraps of wire to make a small living. • He finds it difficult to make both ends meet. It makes him reflect about his own condition and the world at large. • He fancies that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap.

  5. SYNOPSIS (CONT.) • It offers rich and varied baits to people who bite on them and get trapped in the rattrap. • The storyline unfolds gradually with the various baits being offered to the beggar. • The old man that the tramp meets is generous with his hospitality but the bait of the three ten-kronor bills is enough to tempt him.

  6. SYNOPSIS • Next at the Ramsjo ironworks, while seeking shelter for the night, the tramp bites the bait offered to him by the owner, the ironmaster, of mistaken identity. • Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, offers yet another bait of full-hearted generosity, comfortable living and a magically peaceful Christmas for the tramp.

  7. CONCLUSION • Finally, the bitter truth dawns on the hosts. Edla is downcast when she learns that the peddler is a thief. • The tramp undergoes a change of heart after experiencing her kindness. • He returns the stolen money and writes a letter to her thanking her for helping him escape the rattrap. • He attains nobility of spirit and ‘becomes’ Captain Von Stahle. The story ends with the victory of human goodness.

  8. QUESTIONS • Short Questions: • Why is the peddler amused with the idea that the world is a rattrap? • Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain Von Stahle? • Long Questions: • Compare and contrast the characters of the ironmaster and his daughter. • What is the dramatic twist in the story and how does it come about?

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